Last modified: 2011-06-24 by german editorial team
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Burschenschaften/Studentenverbindungen
The Burschenschaften or Studentenverbindungen (students' associations) have played an important role in German history — and the history of the German flag — around 200 years ago. Nowadays they are basically small, insignificant groups with (mostly) right-conservative, in some cases even right-radical, political opinion. There have been several scandals in Munich and the rest of Bavaria with NPD members being also member of one of the Burschenschaften. Although most of them are just conservative and not radical, the distinction is not always easy.
Important university towns, such as Heidelberg, have a lot of Burschenschaften. For instance, the two flags on this picture taken at Heidelberg belong to Frankonia (yellow-red-black-yellow) and Rhenania (blue-white-red) Burschenschaften. Sources: Frankonia website and
Rhenania website.
Marcus Schmöger, 24 Jan 2002
There was an article not long ago by Jorge Hurtado in Gaceta de Banderas [gdb] with descriptions and images of very many Burschenschaften flags. An interesting subject.
Santiago Dotor, 24 Jan 2002
![[Frankonia Burschenschaft]](../images/d/de@bfran.gif)
13:6 
Image by Jorge Candeias, 13 Feb 2005
Marcus Schmöger wrote 24 Jan 2002: For the Rhenania see here.
For the Frankonia see the colours
of their sash.
Since I'm (randomly and slowly) cleaning up my huge collection of stuff to GIF and I believe that this should be at FOTW, I made the GIF of the flag that Marcus identified as the flag of the "Frankonia" Burschenschaft.
Jorge Candeias, 13 Feb 2005
The Ruderverbindung(fraternity) is affiliated with the Akademischer Ruderverein "Westfalen" in Münster(rowing club). The are different entities due to terms of laws.
![[ARV Westfalen (fraternity, Germany)]](../images/d/de@arwfr.gif)
Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 01 Jan 2007
It is a light blue (FIAV-code B--) over white over blue (FIAV-code B) horizontal tricolour. This flag is called "Kneipfahne", which can't be really translated. Source: club's website.
![[ARV Westfalen ceremonial (Rowing Club, Germany)]](../images/d/de@arwce.gif)
Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 01 Jan 2007
It is the fraternity flag with the Zirkel in its centre in an "indicated" shield. This flag was destroyed in WWII. The new ceremonial flag also has a Zirkel in its centre surrounded by the fraternity's motto: "dem Vaterland ergeben den Kräften vertrauend" (devoted to our country trusting in our own forces).
Source: club's website
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Dec 2008
![[AT Slesvigia Niedersachsen (fraternity, Germany)]](../images/d/de@hatsn.gif)
Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 01 Jan 2007
Alte Turnerschaft Slesvigia Niedersachsen Hamburg-Königsberg im CC zu Hamburg shares its home with Corps Rhenania Hamburg at Johnsallee Hamburg .
Description of flag:
The ratio is perhaps 1:2. It is a horizontal 5 stripes flag ordered white-black-white-green-white. The ratio of stripes is 1:2:2:2:1. You may as well say, that it is a horizontal tricolour with white edge at top and bottom. Source: I spotted flag and coat of arms on 3 April 2004 in HH-Rotherbaum
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Aug 2008
![[Corps Rhenania HH (fraternity, Germany)]](../images/d/de@hhcrh.gif)
Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 27 Aug 2008
Corps Rhenania Hamburg is member of the association WSC. The fraternities building is in Johnsallee Hamburg near Hamburg University main building.
There exists at least another Rhenania fraternity in Heidelberg, mentioned on FOTW. The colours are the same but the order of colours is different. So I don't know, whether they belong to the same organization. A member of ARV "Westfalen" told me, "fraternity" would be a good translation of "Studentenverbindung".
Description of flag:
The ratio is probably 3:5. It is a white over black over light red(R-) horizontal tricolour.
IB: I spotted flag and coat of arms on 23 February 2008 in HH-Rotherbaum
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 27 Aug 2008
![[Corps Rhenania HH (fraternity, Germany)]](../images/d/de_theur.gif)
Image by David C Curran, 16 Jun 2003
I have been in Heidelberg Germany for over 15 years and just last week I saw a flag like the one attached. I thought it was the old Northern German Empire Flag, but then it's just the same as the Kamchatka Territory (Russia) upside-down. It was displayed on a flagpole projecting from the building (ratio 3:2) and also banner style from a freestanding pole (ratio 5:2). The building had the sign: Thüringen Corps. I still am trying to find out what that is or who they are. It doesn't seem to be a new organization. What do you know?
David C Curran, 16 Jun 2003
There is most probably a totally different solution, and the four-coloured flag (yellow-red-black-yellow) was the one that pointed to that for me. These are flags of Burschenschaften-Studentenverbindungen (students' associations). As Heidelberg is an important university town, there are also a lot of these Burschenschaften around. Each of these have their colour combinations (two, three or four colours), including rare colours such as pink in many cases. These colour combinations are displayed as sashes mainly, but also as striped flags on the buildings belonging to the Burschenschaft. The Burschenschaften had been playing an important role in German history (and the German flag's history) around 200 years ago.
The Studentenverbindung in this case is the "Corps Thuringia" (names are traditionally latinized, i.e. not "Thüringen" but "Thuringia"). On Das Corps Thuringia website you see their coat-of-arms, that displays the colours black-red-white (bendwise) in one quarter, as well as in a pennant.
Marcus E.V. Schmöger, 16 Jun 2003
